MLB.com looks much better
MLB.com I think took a cue from NHL.com, and improved their site dramatically. Videos are higher quality and come through less choppy, although I do miss the old countdown before they play. Beware if you’re checking that site at work. What’s really nice, and where I loved what the NHL did, is they now have a multitude of video highlights from the previous games. It’s called the MLB Gameday Wrap, and you can find it by going to the scoreboard and clicking the link that says wrap. Here is the page from the opener, check it out and enjoy the Zimmerman homer. Anyway, it should be a great place to find video highlights, whether you go in through mlb.com or nationals.com.
More Philly
On Sunday, I was asked by Tom of Balls, Sticks, & Stuff, a Philadelphia Phillies blog, to do a written interview of the Nats prior to the Nats-Phillies series this week. We cover the OF, Ryan Zimmerman, and Teddy Roosevelt, among a few other things. You can find it here http://www.ballssticksstuff.com/2008/03/advancing-the-w.html. Also, as I mentioned before, I was on the Philadelphia Baseball Review this week in their preview. This is a podcast so you get to listen to me stumble over my words, answer questions differently than they were asked, and altogether not say everything I wanted.
And since we’re on the subject of the Phillies, we can talk a little bit about that first game in Philadelphia. The nice thing about playing them is that every time you go through that lineup, Pedro Feliz is there to kill a rally. Once a week he’ll hit a home run, which is nice for that particular stat category. But if those HRs are only relevant, let’s say half the time, how many more games is he gonna lose, than win? That was rhetorical, the answer is “alot.”
Nick Johnson doubled twice on Monday, he appears to be hitting the ball really well so far. I’m not sure how far things like “wanting to prove yourself” or “showing everyone what you can do” really works, but whatever it is, he appears healthy. Alot of people think that .290/.428/.520 in 2006 was probably a career high – but health issue have kept him from playing when he was younger, during his time with the Yankees he was part time, and he only really played full time in ’05 and ’06, when he was 27. What if, at 29, we get a repeat performance, because that is what a healthy Nick Johnson hits? To put it in perspective, his VORP of 51 was 5th among all 1Bs in MLB in 2006, behind Pujols, Howard, Berkman, and Morneau. I think another top 5 finish is possible, a top 10 is realistic. Additionally, at this point in the season he is on pace to hit 243 doubles this season. Which would be a record.
Blastings got his first hit as a National today, which was a HR. The more he hits of those the better of course, but not at the cost of getting other hits more often. Not that I’m saying he’s doing that, but I’ll be happy if he bats over .300 in his first full season. The HRs are just whipped cream topping to me. Chico didn’t look good today, but he didn’t look horrible. I was expecting horrible after the spring, and I’m sure we’ll got some of that from him. But right now, so so is fine to start the season. As for the 11 runs they scored, well that’s alot. They managed 11 or more runs just seven times last season, and as bad as they were I was surprised that it was that many. So unfortunately, it’s probably not an indicator of things to come. The way the top of the lineup is hitting together, however, may be.
What’s Old is New
A new blog, which apparently is actually an old blog is up and running. Anyway, it’s called Capital Dugout and it’s at capitoldugout.blogspot.com. He’s reviving it after two years of inactivity, so if you’re an old fan, or just looking for more and more content, like most of us, check it out.